Musical Depot finding its rhythm

The strangest thing about Florence student and resident Andrew Wade’s job at Musical Depot is that it doesn’t feel like a job at all.

“I sit in a room with kids and play guitar. I look forward to it every day,” he said. “Coming from fast food jobs, I can appreciate this kind of job.”

Wade is a junior at West Florence High School and a guitar instructor at Musical Depot, a Florence music shop that has expanded its services in recent years to include musical instruction, instrument repair and a music venue.

The individuals behind it, Scott and Jodeen Gilreath, are more than supervisors, Wade said.

“They’re not just bosses. They’re friends,” he said.

Wade also plays in a local music group called What About Wednesday, a consistent performer at The Depot, a music venue set up by the Gilreaths in the same plaza as their music store.

Wade said working at Musical Depot and attending Musical Depot is a unique experience: individuals can buy an instrument, learn how to play it and have a venue in which to play it, all in one store.

Wade said that type of atmosphere always is encouraging.

“Being able to know when I go to work that I’m going to get to play guitar, teach guitar and listen to music for three to four hours,” he said. “Even if I wasn’t getting paid, I would do it on the side.

“This place is like a school of music, minus the school part. There’s freedom to learn what you want to learn. There’s a teacher for those who want to learn specific things and teachers for those who want to learn specific songs.”

Wade said the Musical Depot environment works well with his teaching style.

“I teach kids what they want to learn. I’m not a very rules and regulations kind of guy,” he said. “When a kid learns what he wants to learn, I’m blown away by how fast they pick (the music) up.”
Wade said an organization that focuses so much on the student, as opposed to a rigid curriculum, is bound to grow and that’s certainly what he has seen at Musical Depot.

“When I first started working here, I was the only instructor and I had only 25 students and now there’s over 100 students,” he said. Wade also is joined in his pedagogic pursuits by his fellow What About Wednesday bandmates and several other local musicians.

“I would love to see this place grow student body-wise,” he said.

Wade said he hopes Musical Depot develops into a local hangout for youths.

He wants “for people to keep coming and this (to) be a place where people can hang out,” he said.

About Musical Depot

Established: 2005

Address: 906-D. S. Cashua Drive, Florence

OWNERS: Jodeen and Scott Gilreath

EMPLOYEES: 11

Specialty: Serving as a full service music store

Web site: www.musicaldepot.net

Fast Facts

• Musical Depot offers band and orchestra instruments along with guitars, basses and drums.

• It also offers repair and maintenance for instruments it sells.

• Musical Depot also operates a fully functional musical venue known as The Depot in the same plaza as its music store.

• Musical Depot forms bands from a collection of its private students for recitals and to create a band for The Depot.

• Musical Depot offers a wide variety of summer camps.